Fire Crews Rush To BA Plane After Emergency

A British Airways plane has been met by fire crews at Heathrow Airport after it was involved in a "full emergency" before it landed.

It is not clear exactly what happened on Flight BA292 from Washington's Dulles International Airport, but it is not believed to be engine-related.

Photos appear to show three fire engines heading towards the aircraft on Friday morning - a routine response when a plane reports a problem.

A Heathrow spokesman said: "It was a full emergency but it's all clear. All the runways are open. The aircraft has been pulled back to its stand. It's just a technical issue."

A BA spokesman added: "The flight crew requested a priority landing as a precaution, and the aircraft landed safely.

"The safety of our customers and crew is always our main concern and our highly trained pilots will never compromise this."

It comes after a pilot managed to avert potential disaster earlier this week when the engine of another BA plane caught fire before take-off at Las Vegas.

The blaze was caused by multiple breaches of the engine case , investigators have revealed.

America's National Transportation Safety Board said parts of the high-pressure compressor component in the engine were found on the runway.

An initial examination of the British Airways jet revealed the left engine, fuselage and wing of the plane were substantially damaged in the fire.

The aircraft's flight data and cockpit voice recorders are now being examined by experts.

Pilot Chris Henkey was hailed as a hero after the plane's 157 passengers and 10 crew all escaped safely.

Mr Henkey was one flight away from retirement after 42 years with BA - planning to jet into Barbados for a holiday with his daughter.

However, he has since told US media he is "finished flying".